The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name `Fislulu`.
`Fislulu` is a product of a planned breeding program which had the objective of creating new geranium cultivars with purple flower color, moderate growth, and relatively early flowering response.
`Fislulu` was originated from a hybridization made by the inventor, Angelika Utecht, in a controlled breeding program in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain, in 1993. The female parent was an unnamed hybrid, No. 2275-2, characterized by single, dark-purple flowers, medium-green, zoned foliage, moderately vigorous growth, and medium flowering response. It was derived from crossing the variety `Fismanon` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,391) with a hybrid seedling derived from crossing a self-seedling of the commercial variety `Rigi` (unpatented) with the common commercial variety `Martine` (unpatented). The male parent of `Fislulu` was the patented cultivar `Fisan` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,327) having light-violet, double flowers, distinctly zoned foliage, moderate growth, and early flowering response.
`Fislulu` was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by the inventor, Angelika Utecht, in spring 1994 in a controlled environment in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain.
The first act of asexual reproduction of `Fislulu` was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in May 1994 in a controlled environment in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain by Angelika Utecht. Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the clone initiated in May 1995 in Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for `Fislulu` are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.